Dutch Police Arrest Eight Protesters Outside Iranian Embassy in The Hague

On Saturday, January 6, the Dutch police arrested eight individuals who had managed to break through barriers at the Iranian embassy in The Hague and threw various objects towards the building. Hilda Wifferburch, a police spokesperson, stated: "The arrested individuals are accused of various legal violations including rioting, disturbing public order, attempting to create a fire, and illegal entry into the embassy." According to AFP, footage broadcast on the Dutch television channel NOS shows a group of people chanting "Death to the Islamic Republic" in Persian, crossing metal barriers in front of the Iranian embassy and throwing what appeared to be eggs and stones at the building. Protesters in The Hague and Amsterdam held rallies on Saturday against the suppression of anti-government movements in Iran. Other reports indicate that Iranians residing in several other European cities also held various gatherings on Saturday to protest the crackdown on protesters in Iran. The German news agency reported that hundreds demonstrated in Berlin and Hamburg on Saturday in support of protesters in Iran. It stated that approximately 1,300 people participated in the Brandenburg Gate gathering in Berlin, with some coming from cities like Hanover, Hamburg, Cologne, and other areas. In Hamburg, 300 demonstrators gathered against the leadership of the Islamic Republic on Saturday. Javad Dabiran, the organizer of the Berlin gathering, stated: "People are calling for regime change and an end to religious dictatorship." Protesters held placards reading: "Death to Rouhani, Death to Khamenei." Another gathering took place in Stockholm, Sweden's capital. Mehrdad Darvishpour, a sociologist and one of the organizers of this gathering, told Radio Farda that hundreds participated in a protest called by the "Supporters of the Iranian People" group, including representatives from Sweden's parliamentary parties, the Social Democratic Party, the Green Party, the Left Party, and a representative from the metalworkers' union. Several artistic figures also spoke at the event. According to him, one of the demands of the participants in this gathering was a stronger response from the European Union to the protests in Iran and pressure on the Islamic Republic to release those detained in recent protests. Mr. Darvishpour added that the demonstrators in Stockholm also emphasized their "strong support for the protests" in Iran and protested against the "suppression" of this movement. Images shared on social media also show a gathering in Paris supporting the demands of protesters in Iran. Demonstrations are planned for Sunday in several other European cities and ten cities in the United States and Canada. The protests in Iran over the past week have received widespread attention, and in addition to various politicians and governments around the world, social media users have also launched a broad wave of support for the protesters' demands and opposition to the crackdowns. In these protests, which were accompanied by sharp political slogans against the officials of the Islamic Republic, especially Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran, at least 22 people have been killed and hundreds have been arrested.